Find your Joy in Mercedes-Benz S-Class coupe

Even the most up-to-date motoring fan would be forgiven for scratching their head when reading the features list of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe and Cabriolet range.

Given these are among the most expensive and aspirational models in the Merc line-up, the brand has crammed them with the latests luxury features and tech wizardry, some of which require a bit more explanation.

One standard feature is Energizing Comfort Control, which combines everything from music and seat controls to temperature and fragrance to create pre-set “moods” for occupants: Freshness, Warmth, Vitality, Joy or Comfort.

If you want to use your own music, the system will allocate songs to whichever mood is most suitable, based on their beats per minute.

Seriously.

Elsewhere, Active Multicontour Seats use inflatable chambers to provide adjustable lateral and lumbar support, including massages and bolsters which move to support occupants in corners, while the Magic Body Control system offers more suspension settings than ever before.

Camera IconThe AMG S 63 will play songs to suit your mood.

Other standard gear includes an AMG Line package, 20-inch AMG alloy wheels and Traffic Sign Assist (more on that later).

Going for the S560 Cabriolet means an upgrade to the Warmth Comfort Package, which includes heated armrests, front centre console and steering wheel to make drop-top driving more than a seasonal pastime.

The S560 and AMG 63 S both have a 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 petrol engine, though the latter’s is more dynamically tuned. However, the AMG 65 S is the real jewel in the crown, armed with a hulking 6.0-litre bi-turbo V12 offering 463kW and (gulp) 1000Nm of torque.

We were able to hit the road for all-too-brief loops in the S560 and S 63 coupes in rural Victoria — unfortunately, the AMG S 65 wasn’t available to drive.

The S560 is everything you want from a large, powerful cruiser. Acceleration is smooth, abundant and effortless, the cabin quiet and comfortable.

It feels genuinely luxurious.

The emphasis may definitely be on refinement but it will still provide some thrills if need be; it does have that 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 after all. You’ll get some muted exhaust gurgles, but this is big car — which becomes evident in the corners.

Hop in the S 63, however, and you have a whole lot more excitement. Its AMG engine ups the outputs to a thumping 450kW and 900Nm which gets this big car up and moving seriously, seriously fast.

Camera IconMercedes-AMG 63 S.

Though a car such as this was never going to show its full capability on public roads, you can tip it into corners at speed easier than in the S560 — with the odd bit of wriggle at the back — while the brakes are almost as impressive as the engine in how fast they bring the big rig to a stop.

The tech on hand is impressive and easy to use. The traffic-sign recognition works with the cruise control to allow you to stick to the speed limit: hit the “resume” button twice and the cruise control will adjust itself to whatever the signed speed limit is. It will also pair up with the sat nav to help slow you down when you indicate to turn into a corner, or reduce your speed ahead of a roundabout.

The tech will trickle down into the rest of the Merc line-up in the coming months.

When driving the S560 in a suitably relaxed manner, we were particularly impressed by the Curve drive mode, a recent addition to the Merc stable. It’s slightly firmer than Comfort mode and uses the adaptive damping to keep the car flat in corners, reducing car sickness.

Anyone bigger than the kids won’t be too comfortable in the back, though. Despite the S-Class being the biggest Merc passenger car you can buy, the coupe is still not roomy in the back: I struggled to sit behind my driving position and only just had enough head room.

That said, it’s better than most coupes which have a second row so tight to be a glorified storage shelf, and the rear seats are heated, which is a rarity even for top-end coupes.